Hair clip for hairstyling

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to a hair clip for hairdressing. The hair clip comprises at least three prongs each formed by a squeezing part or blade, and an end part, which acts as a lever mechanism for spacing the corresponding blades in pairs.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is the U.S. National Phase under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of PCTapplication WO 00/36948 filed on Dec. 17, 1999, which claims priority toEuropean Application Serial Number 98870275.9 filed on Dec. 18, 1998,the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a hair clip for use in keeping the hairin place during hairstyling. More particularly, the invention relates toclips which serve to shape and keep locks of hair in high or flat curlswhen carrying out hair setting or permanent-waving operations.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

During hair setting, and most particularly during the treatment known aspermanent-waving, the hairstylist uses different means to roll up thehair and keep it in a rolled-up position during the treatment.

After the treatment, the accessories used are, of course, removed andthe hair is left with waves or curls that are more or less long-lastingdepending on the position in which it was set during the treatment anddepending on the fixing techniques which were used.

Originally, rollers or curlers were used to set the rolled-up shapeduring the treatment.

However, this arrangement of a fairly large number of curlers or rollersis generally not desired due to the bulkiness and weight of the rollersor curlers, even if they are made of a light material, such as syntheticmaterials.

Furthermore, the use of these curlers or rollers entails a series ofdrawbacks, such as, in addition to the bulk and weight, an unsightlyeffect of alignment of the successive curls, a limited diameter of thecurls set by the diameter of the curlers, and hair tension which maycause deterioration as a result of the hair being rolled up tightly onthe curler during the treatment.

To overcome these drawbacks, and in particular to achieve a “bouffant”structure of the hair without an alignment effect and without thetreatment causing tight curling of the hair, it has been suggested touse clips which allow the hair to be prepared for treatment with greaterfreedom, in particular as regards the arrangement of the rolled-uplocks, both to avoid the alignment effect and to avoid very tightrolling-up.

By using clips of this type, the hairstylist forms a series of curls byrolling up locks of hair, either according to a fixed diameter or byselecting a variable diameter, but, preferably, avoiding alignments thatare made virtually inevitable by the technique with curlers or rollers.

The hair clips thus allow it to fix the rolling of a lock of hair in awell-defined position chosen by the hairstylist, in contrast withcurlers and rollers. Fixing with clips allows finer locks to be takenwith a variable rolling diameter, an individual direction and virtuallynon-existent lines of separation, while at the same time avoidingexcessive tension on the hair.

In practice, however, despite the intrinsic advantages of fixing clipswhen compared with curlers and rollers, the technique of rolling up thelock with the clip, prior to fixing, is very complicated and requires adexterity which many stylists do not have or, at any rate, requires arelatively long time in order to obtain aesthetically satisfactoryeffects.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention aims to simplify the rolling-up prior to fixing the locksof hair, by using clips that have been improved compared withconventional clips, and the invention thus also aims to simplifyhairstyling techniques based on the use of the described clips.

SUMMARY OF THE STATE OF THE ART

The various forms of conventionally known hairstyling clips are in theform of a device with two arms, defined herein as blades, articulatedrelative to a transverse articulation axle. The arms are arranged sothat two parts of each arm can be separated from each other or broughttogether in a position of substantially total contact. The arms arebrought together or separated by using the two parts of the arm aslevers.

Clips of this type are disclosed in particular in the followingdocuments: GB Patent Application No. 793, 909; FR Patent Application No.1,489,446; FR Patent Application No. 1,317,575; GB Patent ApplicationNo. 1,013,720; U.S. Pat. No. 3,250,282; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,133,145,incorporated herein by reference.

These documents disclose specific forms for the constituent componentsof the clips which may be considered according to the present invention,without, however, the invention being limited to the specific practicaldetails disclosed in these documents.

Document FR-770 805 discloses a clip whose “jaws” do not correspond tothe specific shape considered by the present invention, but whichprovides an advantageous technical solution as regards the design of thespring.

The articulation of the arms on the transverse axle is conventionallyachieved by various elastic means such as a spring consisting of ahelical elastic metal wire, wound around the transverse articulationaxle, a first end of the metal wire extending radially from the axle andcoming to bear under the first opening lever and the second end of themetal wire extending radially from the axle and coming to bear under thesecond opening lever.

Document EP 0 516 564 A1 discloses a clip of the same type as that inthe preceding document, with another type of spring.

Other means such as springs consisting of a U-shaped elastic blade whosearms come to bear under the opening levers to separate them from eachother are possible.

Elastic means in the form of an open metal ring whose cross section isround or flat etc. are also known.

The function of the spring conventionally is to keep the opening leversapart so that the blades constituting the other end of the articulatedarm are brought into contact so as to grip the hair.

Many specific forms of blades have been suggested, such as pointedblades, blades consisting of two-pronged or three-pronged forks, with orwithout insertion of cross braces, blades having teeth on their edges,etc.

The use of these clips involves the hairstylist forming curls by rollinga lock of hair into a curl, optionally with a twist, and then keepingthe curl of hair rolled up using the clip.

A first risk in the course of this operation is that of “biting” the endof the hair. In any case, this operation is relatively intricate sinceit involves manually forming the curls by manipulating the hair lock bylock in order then to hold it in curls in the desired position using theclip.

Finally, some hair clips whose function is purely decorative and whichare not intended for hair setting are known (U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,277 andU.S. Pat. No. 3,183,915).

According to the present invention, a hair clip for hairstyling isproposed, characterized in that it is composed of at least three arms.The arms comprise a gripping part, defined herein as a blade. One end ofthe arm serves as a control lever for separating corresponding blades inpairs.

Various embodiments for the clip are possible.

Various embodiments for the said clip are possible. According to a firstembodiment, a first (outer) arm is articulated relative to a secondneighbouring arm on an axle which is different from the axle whichprovides the articulation of this second arm relative to the followingthird arm, and so on, if there are more than three arms. In other words,the articulation is carried out in pairs.

According to another embodiment, the various arms are articulated abouta common axle.

One configuration based on a virtual axle and the deformability of abridge linking the control levers in pairs is also possible.

In the various embodiments, one or more springs of different types maybe considered, the function of which is to hold the blade of the firstarm on the blade of the second arm and the blade of the second arm onthe blade of the third arm, and so on, while, at the same time, allowingthem to be separated by actuating the corresponding levers of the clipagainst the force of the spring.

In the case of a three-arm clip, a first and a second blade serve to fixthe end of the lock of hair and allow the lock to be held while rollingit up, with or without a twist, to form a curl.

The curl thus formed may then be held in place between the second bladeand the third blade.

In the case of a clip comprising more than three arms, the end of thelock may first be held as indicated above between the first and secondblade, a first curl turn (with or without a twist) may then be fixedbetween a second and third blade on a portion of the length of the lock,and a curl turn may then be made again on the remaining length of thelock (with the same diameter or a different diameter, in the samedirection of rolling or otherwise, with or without a twist) etc. for aslong as the length of the lock allows it.

This alternative embodiment makes it possible to roll up a long hairwith a variable diameter while, at all times during the rolling-up,keeping the lock of hair in the clip without needing to let go of it andthus performing an easy, technically perfect rolling-up, with very fineseparations and with no tension on the hair. A long hair would need todry for a long time on a roller, whereas it may be dried much morequickly on a clip, which thus leads to a gain in time and energy.

Various forms of blades may be considered, as disclosed in theabove-mentioned documents.

The spring which holds the blades of the clip in the contact positionmay consist of a helical metal elastic wire, wound around the transversearticulation axle, the ends of which extend radially from the axle andcome to bear under the arms which the spring is intended to hold incontact in the absence of an action of the lever against the force ofthe spring.

However, various other embodiments of springs are possible, such asU-shaped components or other elastic means such as open rings, etc.

It should be noted that hair clips of this type are often in contactwith moisture and various treatment products. In the case of using ametal component to form the spring, it is advantageous to use anon-corrodible material, preferably a nickel-containing orchromium-containing material, to withstand the effect of moisture and oftreatment products.

The arms of the clip may also be made of a metal material providing thatthey withstand the moisture conditions and the treatment agents used inhairstyling. For reasons of lightness, it may be preferable to useplastic components which combine the required lightness and mechanicalstrength.

The length, width, thickness and shape of the components constitutingthe clip, in particular the blades, may be adapted to variouscircumstances both as regards the opening levers and as regards theblade. Needless to say, this also applies to the choice of materialsused and to the colours.

Thus, the blades may be pointed (as represented in FIG. 8 of document GBPatent 1,013,720 A), comprise forks with two or more prongs, includeinsertion of cross braces, or have toothed edges.

In particular, the part forming the lever may be wider or narrower thanthe part constituting the blades. It is also possible to incorporate acomb system into each clip or to add one thereto to make the clip easierto use.

The clips of the type in accordance with the invention may be providedwith any decoration or additional hairstyling components fixed to theclips to produce specific hairstyling effects.

Thus, a system of grooves or an attachment lining on the inner face ofthe blades or on a portion between them may thus be provided for abetter fixing of the locks of hair.

The first blade and the second blade may also be curved (in the shape ofa channel or cornice) in the longitudinal direction, while the otherblade(s) are flat.

It is also possible to provide one or more blades, in particular thoseused for the initial holding of the lock, with protection or a bag orany other equivalent means to ensure additional protection of the endwhich is often very sensitive.

It is also possible to provide one or more blades with a tab fixedperpendicular to the blade, with which the lock of hair may be guided toa chosen curl diameter, optionally by being tensioned on this tab whichis preferably made of a semi-rigid material.

In principle, any system which is fixed or fixable to the clip, thepurpose of which is to tension, maintain, guide and wrap the lock ofhair in order to make it easier to be rolled up, to keep the curldistant from its axle and to give the curl additional stability, may beconsidered.

In the order of the possibilities of producing the arms, mention may bemade of the possibility of one blade being longer than others and beingbent at its end to allow better blocking of the lock of hair.

A length-wise or width-wise system of sliding of the arms to make theclip easier to use and to make the curls easier to install may also beconsidered.

Similarly, a rod, which may or may not be combined with one of thecomponents providing the gripping function, may be provided to obtaineasier handling and rotation.

The clips of the type mentioned may also be provided with an additionalfixing system, both in the open position of the various blades relativeto each other and in the corresponding closed positions.

The major advantage of a clip comprising at least three arms accordingto the invention lies in the fact that it is considerably easier for thehairstylist to handle the locks of hair.

The hairstylist can practically carry out the described operation ofinserting the clips, without any need to form the curl beforehand withthe fingers.

The clip with three or more arms according to the invention thus makesit possible to make curls of different diameters without the systemessentially being any more bulky than conventional two-arm clips, andallows a greater freedom in the choice of diameters of the curls formedand their relative arrangement, in particular while avoiding thealignment effects that are virtually inevitable in systems with curlersor rollers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of a clip consisting of three armswith the blades spaced apart, this position being achieved by pressingon the two outer levers.

FIG. 2 represents a top plan view of a clip according to FIG. 1 fromwhich the top arm has been removed so that one of the torsion springscan be seen more clearly.

FIG. 3 represents a front plan view of FIG. 1 of this same clip whenclosed.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of FIG. 1 of one possible embodiment in whichthe blade is shaped into a point.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of threeblades, the first two being shaped as cornices of complementary shapeand the third being flat.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one embodiment as may be obtained, inparticular by injection-moulding of plastic material, and which requiresno mounting on one or more axles, as the movements take place relativeto virtual axes.

FIG. 7 is a side profile view of the clip of FIG. 6 as obtained afterinjection-moulding the plastic material of which it is made.

FIG. 8 is a view in the plane perpendicular to that of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a representative profile view of the first phase of theoperation related to the invention, namely the gripping of a lock ofhair.

FIG. 10 is a representative profile view of the second phase of theoperation related to the invention, namely the turning of the lock.

FIG. 11 is a representative profile view of the last phase of theoperation related to the invention, namely the gripping of the curlformed by the lock.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the various figures, identical reference numbers are used foridentical or functionally similar constituent parts.

FIGS. 1 to 5 represent one embodiment in which a first outer arm 3 isarticulated relative to a central arm 7, while a second outer arm 5 isarticulated relative to this same central arm 7.

In the embodiment represented in FIGS. 1 to 5, the first arm 3 isarticulated relative to the central arm 7 on an axle 31 and the secondarm 5 , is articulated relative to the same central arm 7 on a secondaxle 33.

However, there is nothing to prevent the respective articulation of thetwo outer arms 3 and 5 relative to the central arm 7 from being made ona common axle.

In the embodiment represented in FIG. 1 to 5, reference is also made tothe use of two helical springs 35, although other equivalent embodimentsfor the function performed may also be considered.

The outer arm 3 comprises a blade 13 represented in FIG. 1 to 3, withoutthis being limiting in nature, in the form of a two-pronged fork 13. Byway of example, FIG. 4 represents a blade of pointed shape. The otherend of the first arm 3 consists of a part forming a lever 23.

Similarly, the second outer arm 5 comprises a blade and a lever 25,while the central arm 7 comprises a blade 17 and a lever 27. Blades 15and 17 have also been represented as being formed by a two-armed fork,but there is no obligation for the blades 15 and 17 to have aconfiguration identical to that of the blade 13. The blade 17 may, forexample, be a flat blade or may be a blade which is narrower than theouter blades 13 and 15, so as to create micro-waves along the length ofthe lock.

In the illustration given as an example in FIG. 5, the perspective viewof a “cornice-shaped” blade for two blades is shown, the third bladebeing flat.

Similarly, it may be considered, as shown, for one of the outer bladesto be slightly curved (blade 13), while the remaining blades arevirtually flat, provided, of course, that a gripping effect between theblades is achieved when closed.

The ends forming the levers 23, 25 and 27 may also come in variousshapes.

A spring represented only partially in FIG. 2 with the reference number35 is made in the form of a helical winding of a wire, the two ends ofwhich are radially spaced apart and end up coming to bear under (that isto say inside) the levers 23 and 27 and 25 and 27, so as to hold theblades in the gripping position represented in FIG. 3.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 to 11, the articulation axle isvirtual.

This embodiment has the advantage of making it possible to produce theclip without mounting the constituent parts on individual axles or on acommon axle, thus making it possible to form the entire clip byinjection-moulding of a suitable and commonly used plastic material.

In this embodiment (see FIG. 7), the lever 23 is linked to the lever 27by an arched bridge 41 and the lever 25 is linked to this same lever 27by an arched bridge 43.

Furthermore, the lever 23 is securely fastened to the blade 13 and thelever 25 is securely fastened to the blade 15 respectively by means ofblade extensions 13′ and 15′ which, in the plan view in FIG. 8, eachcomprise a side notch 49 and 50 towards the central part. Similarly, ablade extension 17′ links the central lever 27 to the blade 17, but withside notches 51 and 52 this time on both sides.

The components 13, 13′ and 23 thus form the arm 3, the components 15,15′ and 25 form the arm 5 and the components 17, 17′ and 27 form the arm7.

The clip obtained by injection-moulding is initially as represented inFIGS. 6 to 8. It then suffices to house the blade 13 under the centralblade 17 and the blade 15 over the central blade 17 by means of alateral movement, by exploiting the deformability of the bridges 41 and43 so that the blades 13 and 15 press on the central blade 17. In thisposition, the bridges 41 and 43 are under flexural stress and maintainthe gripping position, in the absence of an external action of thefingers.

By appropriately positioning the thumb of the left hand acting on thelever 25 and the index finger of the same hand acting on the lever 27,the blade 13 is separated from the blade 17, while keeping the blade 15firmly next to the blade 17. In practice, in order to guide a correctpositioning of the fingers better, the bridge 41 is slightly longer thanthe bridge 43 so as to be able easily to slide the index finger underthe lever 23, as shown (with the thumb pressing on the lever 25), toseparate the blade 13 from the blade 17.

However, a flange 45 is located in the extension 17′ of the blade 17 asrepresented, so as not to allow the is index finger to slide into thespace in which this flange is located.

In order to ensure correct positioning of the index finger on the lever23 and towards the front of this lever, and also correct positioning ofthe thumb on the lever 25 at the back of this lever, stops 47 and 48 areprovided.

Blade 15 may thus be readily separated from blade 17, while keepingblade 13 firmly next to blade 17.

In all the embodiments, by acting on the levers 23 and 27 and 25 and 27,it is thus possible to successively separate the blades 13 and 17 andthe blades 15 and 17.

It now becomes possible first to grip the end of a lock of hair betweenthe blades 13 and 17, to roll the lock of hair into a curl, with orwithout a twist, by handling the lock of hair by means of the clip, andthen to hold the lock of hair in a curled position by gripping thecurled lock close to the scalp between the blades 15 and 17.

When all the locks have been rolled up, it is then possible to carry outsubsequent treatments on the hair in order to fix it by any suitablemeans, such as hair setting or permanent-waving with treatment agentsthat are commonly used for this type of operation.

Although the present invention has been described in terms of certainpreferred embodiments, other embodiments of the invention includingvariations in dimensions, configuration and materials will be apparentto those of skill in the art in view of the disclosure herein. Inaddition, all features discussed in connection with any one embodimentherein can be readily adapted for use in other embodiments herein. Theuse of different terms or reference numerals for similar features indifferent embodiments does not imply differences other than those whichmay be expressly set forth. Accordingly, the present invention isintended to be described solely by reference to the appended claims, andnot limited to the preferred embodiments disclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A clip for hairstyling, comprising: at leastthree arms, comprising a central arm, a first outside arm and a secondoutside arm, wherein each of said arms comprises a gripping part and afirst end which serves as a control lever for separating said grippingparts in pairs; and deformable parts connecting said control levers ofthe arms in pairs, wherein said first outer arm is articulated relativeto said central arm and said second outer arm is articulated relative tosaid central arm by said deformable parts.
 2. The hair clip of claim 1,further comprising a first axle and a second axle, wherein said firstoutside arm is articulated relative to said central arm on said firstaxle and said second outside arm is articulated relative to said centralarm on said second axle.
 3. The hair clip of claim 1, further comprisingan axle, wherein said first and second outer arms and said central armare articulated around a common axle.
 4. The hair clip of claim 1,further comprising additional hairstyling components fixed to said clip.5. The hair clip of claim 1, further comprising decoration fixed to saidclip.
 6. The hair clip of claim 1, wherein said gripping parts compriseblades which comprise grooves on their inner sides for holding locks ofhair.
 7. The hair clip of claim 1, wherein said gripping parts comprisepointed blades.
 8. The hair clip of claim 1, wherein said gripping partscomprise blades which comprise multi-pronged forks.
 9. The hair clip ofclaim 8, wherein said multipronged forks are selected from the groupconsisting of two pronged forks and three pronged forks.
 10. The hairclip of claim 1, wherein said gripping parts comprise blades withcross-braces.
 11. The hair clip of claim 1, wherein said gripping partscomprise toothed blades.
 12. The hair clip of claim 1, furthercomprising an additional fixing system.
 13. The clip of claim 1, whereinthe first outer arm is articulated relative to the central arm on afirst virtual axle and wherein the second outer arm is articulatedrelative to the central arm on a second virtual axle.